BANGKOK -- Thai authorities say they have rescued more than 750 dogs destined for cooking pots in Vietnam.

Capt. Thirakiat Thongaram says a Thai navy patrol caught a gang of dog smugglers Thursday morning on the shore of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province.

His men found at least 750 dogs in small, rusty cages on a truck near a ferry ready to take them across the river to Laos.

He says the canines were to be transported through Laos to Vietnam, where dog meat is a delicacy. One Thai man was arrested on charges including illegal transportation of animals, while the other smugglers escaped.